Tire size for Skyhawk

[Thriller]

I suppose some may want to see this in the post-war forum, but I don’t normally go there...if I spent time in each of them as they’ve expanded in number, I’d never get anything done.

 

So, the Skyhawk tires have significant age cracking.  The original tire size is BR78-13.  What do you like for a replacement size?  

 

P175/75R13 - seems to be unavailable, -1% diameter compared to original

P175/80R13 - mostly available as a trailer tire, +1.8% diameter

P185/70R13 - most availability, -1.7% diameter

 

Presently on the car is a Michelin tire that is P185/80R13, which now only seems to show up as a trailer tire.

 

The speedometer reads a bit low overall at present, so I’d rather not go to a shorter tire, but I’m not sure I have much choice.

 

Any thoughts?  They’re bad enough I need to replace before heading down to Oklahoma.

 

[BUICK RACER]

Derek, email Rusted Tires/Russell Small and see if he can help you  his phone is 8186543400 or email smallhurst@gmail.com

 

[JohnD1956]

What about a 195- 70 tire? Are they available in the 13" rim size?. 

[old-tank]

1 hour ago, Thriller said:

the post-war forum, but I don’t normally go there

You might learn something. 😁

[Roger Frazee]

Maxxis makes a 185/80R13 tire in both black sidewall and white sidewall.  It is a popular tire with Corvair owners.  They are available on Amazon.

[Brad Conley]

Walmart carries the Milestar brand.  I am running these on my Skyhawk and they work fine.  See:  https://www.walmart.com/ip/Milestar-MS775-Radial-Tire-P175-80R13-86S/55189956?wmlspartner=wmtlabs&adid=22222222222059261725&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=o&wl2=c&wl3=17604826559&wl4=pla-1105762988771&wl12=55189956_0&wl14=milestar 13" tire&veh=sem&msclkid=6255c4c961a814b4d0a9981b4808bcd6

[Barney Eaton]

I was going to comment on the 13" and I see another Corvair owner has jumped in.  

If you go blackwall the choices are much greater than the choices available in white wall....especially narrow whitewall.

 

[MrEarl]

12 hours ago, Thriller said:

 

I suppose some may want to see this in the post-war forum, but I don’t normally go there...if I spent time in each of them as they’ve expanded in number, I’d never get anything done.

 

 

Oh tha’s ok, just park anywhere, everybody else does these days as evidenced by some 12-13 tech related post currently on this General forum page. Sorry but I’m a “there’s a place for everything and everything in it’s place” kind of guy (thank you mom) 

So maybe we should just combine Pre and Post war into General, you know kinda like “altogether parking” 😬😆

[RivNut]

2 hours ago, MrEarl said:

 

Oh tha’s ok, just park anywhere, everybody else does these days as evidenced by some 12-13 tech related post currently on this General forum page. Sorry but I’m a “there’s a place for everything and everything in it’s place” kind of guy (thank you mom) 

So maybe we should just combine Pre and Post war into General, you know kinda like “altogether parking” 😬😆

Your mom or USMC?  Maybe there's a correlation there.

[Thriller]

Thanks for the responses.  Relatively easily available is a 185/70, so that’s what we will go with as I need to be able to get them reasonably quickly.  I guess I was looking for confirmation as once I start looking at tire sizes online it gets out of control pretty quickly.

 

There may very well be a place for every thing, but when the number of categories gets large enough, it gets a bit more challenging to determine the correct bin.  While I may very well learn something down there (and it isn't’ that I’ve never been there), I have limited time to peruse things, so I have to make choices.

 

[MrEarl]

3 hours ago, RivNut said:

Your mom or USMC?  Maybe there's a correlation there.

 

May be...😁

[NTX5467]

Main thing to consider is the OTHER H-body cars GM has built, as the Chevy Monza car (NOT the Corvair Monza).  Those cars should have existed after the P-metric tires came online, so they can be used as a guide for the size for your Skyhawk.

 

As for WalMart Michelins, they are not usually the SAME Michelins you get at a regular tire dealer.  Something's usually different in the model name, for example, but I also suspect there might be something internal/unseen that's different.  Why?  On the Michelin website, it used to say that all Michelins bought at WalMart need to go back to WalMart for any tire adjustment issues.  Normal Michelin dealers won't touch them, either.  Other brands of tires that WalMart sells usually might have similar names (as Goodyear Viva), but names which used to be OEM names, but with WalMart version specific tread designs (and probably rubber composition).  JUST an advisory.

 

If I'm just looking around, I usually end up at www.TireRack.com for research.  Usually on sizes, Revs/Mile, and pricing.  For purchases, usually a local tire dealer friend I've known for 45+years.

 

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[Frank DuVal]

On 5/7/2019 at 6:20 PM, Thriller said:

I suppose some may want to see this in the post-war forum, but I don’t normally go there...if I spent time in each of them as they’ve expanded in number, I’d never get anything done

 

It's not that "we" want to see it in Post War, but you should have put it there for more exposure. Just how hard is it to look at your post in any forum? Same number of clicks to get to Post War as it is to get to General. Seems to me one would want the best exposure for their question.👍

 

I just happened to check here today, not a daily thing for me.

 

Anyway, make sure you are NOT buying trailer tires!

 

On 5/7/2019 at 6:20 PM, Thriller said:

P185/80R13

 

As Roger says, this size in whitewall available only from Maxxis. 

[RivNut]

Question if I may.  If you're having your car judged, do you loose points if you don't have a brand of tire that originally came on the car?  I understand the non Delco batteries can cost you points.

 

Ed

[Thriller]

17 minutes ago, RivNut said:

Question if I may.  If you're having your car judged, do you loose points if you don't have a brand of tire that originally came on the car?  I understand the non Delco batteries can cost you points.

 

Ed

 

Brand, no.  Size and type (bias vs. Radial), yes.  In this case, I’m having it judged as archival, and radials were available in 1976, so it should be more or less fine.  Since BR78-13 aren’t available, except perhaps with the specialty suppliers, one would lose points for every tire the incorrect size if judged in 400 point.

 

[Thriller]

24 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said:

 

It's not that "we" want to see it in Post War, but you should have put it there for more exposure. Just how hard is it to look at your post in any forum? Same number of clicks to get to Post War as it is to get to General. Seems to me one would want the best exposure for their question.👍

 

I just happened to check here today, not a daily thing for me.

 

Anyway, make sure you are NOT buying trailer tires!

 

 

As Roger says, this size in whitewall available only from Maxxis. 

 

Thanks for the thoughts.  If one is regularly visiting the General forum, then visiting another sub-forum that one doesn’t normally visit is extra clicks, and if the volume there is larger, it can take some extra time to visit.  Not a big deal, but a choice.  In this case, another Skyhawk owner of this era chimed in (and there aren’t that many of us here), so it’s pretty good.

 

Yes, trailer tires were not desired.  

 

If all goes well, the new tires will be in when the car goes back in to get the differential fluid changed next week.